WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggests that although it is possible to contract Guillain-Barre syndrome following a vaccine, the risk is very small.
"The benefits of receiving vaccinations far outnumber the risks," said lead investigator Dr. Nizar Souayah of the New Jersey Medical School. "Few studies had been attempted to address the relationship between vaccination and GBS and most had focused only on the influenza vaccine. It is important to determine which vaccines may be associated with GBS."
Using data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta and the Food and Drug Administration, Souayah found there were 54 cases of GBS reported after vaccination in the United States in 2004.
Of the 54 cases studied, Guillain-Barre syndrome was observed in 57 percent of the patients who had received an influenza vaccine, followed by 22 percent of the patients who had received a hepatitis vaccine either as a single vaccine or in combination with other vaccines.
The findings are being presented at the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine's 53rd annual meeting later this week in Washington.
